I have a 1983 Camaro and about 3 yrs ago smoke started coming out of the tail pipe. My father claimed he didn't know what was wrong with it but he insisted that it be the head gaskets. My question is does anyone have a clue as to what else it could be besides the head gaskets. The camaro has been sitting in my back yard for 3 years but has been in shelter of a tree. I am about to start taking the engine apart and just taking a look at it. Does anyone think I should not waste my time on this car? And what could be some problems of letting it sit for so long? I would like it if you could help.

 

i believe head gasket means coolant leak, oil means bad piston seals, and rich gassy smell means that your not burning all of your fuel. there was another thread on here about which type of smoke means what, do a search and try to find it.

 

what color smoke,

 

white smoke

 

Does it have a sweetish smell? What is the color of the oil when it is time of an oil change? If it looks like milkshake, you have coolant in the oil. If the oil looks black with oil on it, you have oil in the coolant. All are symptoms of a bad head gasket.

What is the color of the plugs? Should be a nice tan color. If white, coolant is getting into the combustion chamber.

 

yep all symptoms of what you described are the problems. U recommend any special head gasket kit ? Thanks you helped me out alot.

 

if its not that bad then get some bars radiator sealer stuff. just make sure you crush the beads up first (you'll know what i mean) and then replace your coolant. as far as oil im not sure if theres a sealer out there for that but this is only a temp fix. you should really get the head gaskets replaced, its a steep price but it'll be worth it if you plan to keep the car for a long time.

 

I don't trust those radiator sealant things. If I could, I'd remove the radiator and have it welded or replaced.

Fel-Pro works well for a gasket.